Superchargers, Turbochargers, and Performance

[Jackpine]

I'd be interested too, and have to admit I don't really know the difference between superchargers and turbos, so I'll look that up in a moment.

I DO know that what counts is the actual mass of air that is delivered to the engine - more air mass means more fuel can be added and that equates to more power. Heating air reduces it's mass/volume, so a cool supply is good. Pressurizing air tends to heat it, but you can't increase mass without also increasing pressure. If a turbo can increase the mass more than a supercharger, or, if the turbo takes less engine power to deliver identical mass than a supercharger, then the turbo will win.

So, that's my rather "obvious" input for now. My deck installers have just arrived, so I have to leave.

Edit: OK, I've now done a bit of research and found that I DID sort of understand the difference between a turbo and a supercharger. I learned though, that a supercharger doesn't have the lag that a turbocharger has since the supercharger is driven directly by the engine. I can see why one is preferable to the other depending on the use. I can't help but think, though, that with proper engineering, you could get equivalent power from either device.


- Jack